Judaeo-SpanishJudaeo-Spanish or Judeo-Spanish (autonym djudeoespanyol, Hebrew script: , Cyrillic: жудеоеспањол), also known as Ladino, is a Romance language derived from Old Spanish. Originally spoken in Spain, and then after the Edict of Expulsion spreading through the Ottoman Empire (the Balkans, Turkey, Western Asia, and North Africa) as well as France, Italy, the Netherlands, Morocco, and England, it is today spoken mainly by Sephardic minorities in more than 30 countries, with most speakers residing in Israel.
Ten Days of RepentanceIn Judaism, the Ten Days of Repentance (עֲשֶׂרֶת יְמֵי תְּשׁוּבָה, ʿǍseret yəmēy təšūvā) are the first ten days of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, beginning with the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah and ending with the conclusion of Yom Kippur. These days usually fall in September and/or early October. Due to the proximity to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, in this period Jews focus on repenting for their sins and seeking out closeness with God.
TzitzitTzitzit ( ṣīṣīṯ, tsiˈtsit; plural ṣīṣiyyōṯ, Ashkenazi: ; and Samaritan: ) are specially knotted ritual fringes, or tassels, worn in antiquity by Israelites and today by observant Jews and Samaritans. are usually attached to the four corners of the tallit gadol (prayer shawl), usually referred to simply as a or ; and tallit katan (everyday undershirt). Through synecdoche, a may be referred to as . The word may derive from the Hebrew root [n-ts-h]. shares this root with the Hebrew for 'lock of hair'.
Jewish studiesJewish studies (or Judaic studies; madey ha-yahadut) is an academic discipline centered on the study of Jews and Judaism. Jewish studies is interdisciplinary and combines aspects of history (especially Jewish history), Middle Eastern studies, Asian studies, Oriental studies, religious studies, archeology, sociology, languages (Jewish languages), political science, area studies, women's studies, and ethnic studies. Jewish studies as a distinct field is mainly present at colleges and universities in North America.
Repentance in JudaismRepentance (/tʃuvɑː/; תשובה, tchuvä; literally "return") is one element of atoning for sin in Judaism. Judaism recognizes that everybody sins on occasion, but that people can stop or minimize those occasions in the future by repenting for past transgressions. Thus, the primary purpose of repentance in Judaism is ethical self-transformation. A Jewish penitent is traditionally known as a baal teshuva. According to the Talmud, God created repentance before He created the physical universe, making it among the first things created.
Daniel (biblical figure)Daniel (Aramaic and דָּנִיֵּאל; Δανιήλ; دانيال) is the main character of the Book of Daniel. According to the Hebrew Bible, Daniel was a noble Jewish youth of Jerusalem taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon, serving the king and his successors with loyalty and ability until the time of the Persian conqueror Cyrus, all the while remaining true to the God of Israel.
Song of the SeaThe Song of the Sea (שירת הים, Shirat HaYam, also known as Az Yashir Moshe and Song of Moses, or Mi Chamocha) is a poem that appears in the Book of Exodus of the Hebrew Bible, at . It is followed in verses 20 and 21 by a much shorter song sung by Miriam and the other women. The Song of the Sea was reputedly sung by the Israelites after their crossing the Red Sea in safety, and celebrates the destruction of the Egyptian army during the crossing, and looks forward to the future conquest of Canaan.
Yotzer ohrYotzer ohr (Creator of light), also known as Birkat yotzer (the yotzer blessing) or Birkat Yotzer Or, is the first of the two blessings recited before the Shema during Shacharit, the morning religious services of Judaism. Translation: Blessed are you, our God, King of the universe, who forms light and creates darkness, who makes peace and creates all things... Blessed are you, , who forms light. According to a Midrash, Adam and Eve were the first people to recite this blessing when they were in the Garden of Eden.
ShtiebelA shtiebel (שטיבל shtibl, pl. shtiblekh or shtiebels, meaning "little house" or "little room" cognate with German Stübel) is a place used for communal Jewish prayer. In contrast to a formal synagogue, a shtiebel is far smaller and approached more casually. It is typically as small as a room in a private home or a place of business which is set aside for the express purpose of prayer, or it may be as large as a small-sized synagogue. It may or may not offer the communal services of a synagogue.
Ashkenazi HebrewAshkenazi Hebrew (Hagiyya Ashkenazit, Ashkenazishe Havore) is the pronunciation system for Biblical and Mishnaic Hebrew favored for Jewish liturgical use and Torah study by Ashkenazi Jewish practice. As it is used parallel with Modern Hebrew, its phonological differences are clearly recognized: ʾālep̄ and ʿáyin are completely silent at all times in most forms of Ashkenazi Hebrew, where they are frequently both pronounced as a glottal stop in Modern Hebrew. (Compare Yisroeil (Lithuanian) or Yisruayl (Polish-Galician) vs.
